00:00Airport lounges were built to feel exclusive.
00:02Then airlines gave almost everyone a way in.
00:04After the pandemic,
00:05revenge travel sent more people clamoring for lounge access
00:08and airlines eagerly cashed in.
00:11They expanded entry through premium credit cards,
00:13memberships and day passes,
00:15and then lounges filled up,
00:17crowds grew and lines stretched into terminals.
00:19Now these same airlines are trying to restore
00:21that sense of exclusivity
00:23and their solution has made lounge access
00:25remarkably complicated.
00:26Getting through the door can depend on your credit card,
00:28how much you spend on it,
00:30your airline status, cabin, route,
00:32and even the exact fare you booked.
00:34Some lounges sell day passes, others don't.
00:37Some allow guests, others charge extra.
00:39A benefit that works before departure
00:41might not work after a layover.
00:43Airlines are also creating more tiers.
00:45A membership might get you into a standard United Club,
00:48but not a Polaris lounge.
00:49An American Express Platinum card
00:51can unlock a Delta Sky Club,
00:53but only a limited number of times each year,
00:55generally while flying Delta and not in basic economy.
00:58Delta's new basic premium fares make it even more convoluted.
01:02Travelers still get live flat seats and onboard dining,
01:05but may lose lounge access and dedicated check-in
01:08unless they qualify another way.
01:09The next phase of the lounge arms race
01:11will be less about who can get in
01:13and more about how much friction airlines can remove
01:15for their most valuable customers,
01:17with the real luxury becoming getting through the airport quickly,
01:20privately, and without having to decode a maze of access rules.
01:23Travelers
01:24The last phase of the lounge
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